Piston with thermally insulating insert and method of construction thereof

1. A piston for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

an upper crown formed at least in part by a first metal material and a thermally insulating insert, said upper crown having an upper wall forming an upper combustion surface and having a ring belt region depending from said upper wall, said ring belt region having a plurality of ring grooves, said upper combustion surface being formed at least in part by said thermally insulating insert, said thermally insulating insert having a base surface with pores extending upwardly into said base surface toward said upper combustion surface, said first metal material being infused and solidified in said pores to bond said first metal material to said thermally insulating insert, said first metal material forming a first bonding surface; and

a body portion formed from a second metal material separate from said first metal material, said body portion forming pin bosses having coaxially aligned pin bores and diametrically opposite skirt portions, said body portion having a second bonding surface bonded to said first bonding surface of said first metal material.

2. The piston of claim 1 , wherein said pores provide said thermally insulating insert with a porosity, said porosity decreasing from said base surface toward said upper combustion surface.

3. The piston of claim 2 , wherein said pores are asymmetrically shaped providing said porosity having a sponge-like appearance.

4. The piston of claim 1 , wherein said upper combustion surface is formed entirely from said thermally insulating insert.

5. The piston of claim 1 , wherein said first metal material forms a portion of said upper combustion surface.

6. The piston of claim 1 , wherein said upper wall has an exposed undercrown surface facing away from said upper combustion surface, said undercrown surface being formed at least in part by said thermally insulating insert.

7. The piston of claim 1 , wherein said first metal material and said second metal material are the same types of metal material.

8. The piston of claim 7 , wherein said first and second metal materials are an aluminum-based material.

9. The piston of claim 7 , wherein said first and second metal materials are an iron-based material.

10. The piston of claim 7 , wherein said first and second metal materials are a magnesium-based material.

11. The piston of claim 7 , wherein said first and second metal materials are a titanium-based material.

12. The piston of claim 1 , further including a metal coating layer bonded to said thermally insulating insert inside said pores to facilitate bonding of said first metal material to said thermally insulative insert.

13. The piston of claim 1 , wherein said first metal material forms at least a portion of said ring belt region.

14. The piston of claim 1 , wherein said second metal material forms at least a portion of said ring belt region.

15. The piston of claim 1 , wherein said first metal material is welded to said second metal material.

16. The piston of claim 1 , wherein said second metal material is cast about said first metal material.

17. A method of constructing a piston for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

forming a thermally insulating insert, having a base surface and an opposite surface providing at least a portion of an upper combustion surface, with pores extending upwardly into said base surface toward the upper combustion surface, from a ceramic material;

infusing a first metal material into said pores and solidifying the first metal material to bond the first metal material to the thermally insulating insert, and forming the first metal material having a first bonding surface;

forming a body portion, having pin bosses with coaxially aligned pin bores and diametrically opposite skirt portions and a second bonding surface, from a second metal material; and

bonding the first bonding surface of the first metal material to the second bonding surface of the body portion.

18. The method of claim 17 , further including forming the pores decreasing in porosity from the base surface toward the upper combustion surface.

19. The method of claim 18 , further including forming the pores having an asymmetrically shaped, sponge-like appearance.

20. The method of claim 17 , further including forming the thermally insulating insert to provide the entirety of the upper combustion surface.

21. The method of claim 17 , further including forming the first metal material to provide a portion of the upper combustion surface.

22. The method of claim 17 , further including forming the thermally insulating material to provide at least a portion of an undercrown surface opposite the upper combustion surface.

23. The method of claim 17 , further including providing the first metal material and the second metal material being the same types of metal material.

24. The method of claim 17 , further including providing the first and second metal materials as an aluminum-based material.

25. The method of claim 17 , further including providing the first and second metal materials as an iron-based material.

26. The method of claim 17 , further including providing the first and second metal materials as a magnesium-based material.

27. The method of claim 17 , further including providing the first and second metal materials as a titanium-based material.

28. The method of claim 17 , further including bonding a metal coating layer to the thermally insulating material inside the pores to facilitate bonding the first metal material to the thermally insulative material.

29. The method of claim 17 , further including forming the first metal material to provide at least a portion of a ring belt region.

30. The method of claim 17 , further including forming the second metal material to provide at least a portion of a ring belt region.

31. The method of claim 17 , further including performing the bonding by welding the first metal material to the second metal material.

32. The method of claim 17 , further including performing the bonding by casting the second metal material about the first metal material.